Improvement in bee-hives



S.&J.D. COPE.

, Bee Preserver. No. 3,439. Patented Feb. 12,1844.

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UNITED S. COPE AND J. D. COPE, OF DAMASGOVILLE, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN BEE-HIVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 3,439, dated February12, 1844.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, S. COPE and J. D. COPE, both of Damascoville, inthe county of Golumbiana and State of Ohio, have invented a new anduseful apparatus for opening and closing bee-hives at any stated timeduring the day or night, which we call the Bee-Preserver, and we dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the construction and operation of the same, referencebeing had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification,in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 2, anotherfront elevation, the partition E being removed; and Fig. 3 is atransverse vertical section.

On the front end or extremity of the arbor or shaft to of the greatwheel ofa common clock the pinion A, having eight leaves or cogs, isfastened. This pinion carries the large face-wheel B, which moves on itsown inde pendent arbor I). Said facewhcel B is furnished with ninety-sixcogs, into which the cogs of the pinion A mesh, causing it to revolveonce to every twelve revolutions of the said pinion.

On the face and near the circumference of the face-wheel B twenty-fouror twice twelve divisions are marked-id est, from 1 to 12-and repeated,indicating the twenty-four hours of day and night. These divisions aresubdivided into minutes, and, if desired, these are again subdividedinto seconds, provided the space admits of it. These saiddivisions'constitute the stationary indexplate 0. (See Fig. 1.)

Immediately within and contiguous to the stationary index-plate is acircular groove, d, in which the two segmental movable indexplates Dslide. These latter index-plates are furnished each with a point orindex, 0, and also an adjusting-screw, (I, each, for the purposehereinafter set forth in the description of the operation. Near thecircumference of the face-wheel, at about an angle of forty-five degreesfrom its center, and at its right side, the pin 0 is fastened into thepartition E, protruding in such a manner as to support the bent wire F,next described. This wire is inserted and fastened to the shaft f, andat a right angle with its axis, extending, after leaving the shaft, in aslightly'inclined (nearly horizontal) direction, as far as the verticaldiameter of the facewheel B, then changing its direction by returningdownward at an angle of about thirty-five degrees with its horizontalbranch.

The shaft f, after passing through the partition E, enlarges and thenenters the partition G for a bearing. At about one-third of the lengthof its enlargement, immediately back of the partition E, another wire,g, is fastened to the said shaft, extending, first, at right angles withthe axis of the shaft in the same direction as the wire F, but tendingdownward at an angle of about thirty degrees with the horizon, thentakinga short right-angular turn toward the wheel H, and finally takingagain an upward-tending direction, all as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Next there is the wheel H, which is fastened to its own arbor h, theextremities of which rest and move in the partitions E and G. This wheelhas on its face and near its circumference four projecting pins, 1',placed as shown in Figs. 3 and 2, and the object of which will bedescribed hereinafter. Back of this wheel, and on the same shaft, is-thedrum I, around which the cords j wind, to the ends of which the weight Jand counter-weight K are fastened. Furthermore, the wheel H is furnishedon its back with the common click-and-ratchet work for the winding up ofthe weight J. The 7 .plates D are moved in the circular groove d untilthe points or indices 0 point to the respective hours of morning andevening at which it is desired to open or close the hive. This beingdone the index-plates are fastened again by means of saidadjusting-screws. N ext, the clock and the apparatus are wound up bymeans of their respective counter-weights O and J. Then the pendulum isput in motion, and thus the clock set going. The pinion A, in conse=quence of being fastened to the shaft a of the great wheel of a commonclock, revolves once in every two hours, and having eight leavcs'orcogs, which mesh into theninety-six cogs of the large face-wheel B,causes the latter to revolve once every twenty-four hours. Theface-wheel thus revolving will cause the adjusting-screws, which projectsufficiently for that purpose, to come alternately at the appointedhours in contact with the bent wire F, either opening or closing (as thecase may be) the gate M in the following manner: The adjusting-screwacting at the time, in course of its revolution with the face-wheel, towhich it is fastened, touches the wire F on the under side of itsdownward branch, slides along it, raises it gradually, and thus causesthe shaft f to turn. The turning of this shaft raises the wire 9sufficiently to allow the pin i, which has thus long rested or leanedagainst the upward-tending branch of said wire, to escape in consequenceof the weight K, by means of its cord j, causing the drum I to revolve,which carries with it the wheel H, being on the same shaft. The

adjusting-screw having traversed the downward branch of the wire F, letsit fall again on its resting-pin c, causing a retrograding motion in theshaft f, and consequently of the wire g, which causes the latter tooppose the passage of the next-coming pin, 2', which remains stationaryuntil the next-coming adjusting-screw raises the wire F again, and soon. This motion is assisted by the wire spring 1), which protrudes fromthe partition G, and bears on the under side of the bent wire g. Theshaft h turning, carries with it the crank l, to which the rod L of thegate M is attached, raising and closing the latter when in anupward-tending vertical position, or lowering and opening it when in adownward position, as the case maybe.

By having branch rods any number of gates may be operated upon by thesame apparatus.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

Thelarge wheel B and the wheel H, in connection with a common clock-workor any timekeeping apparatus, combined with the gate M, for the purposeabove described, the whole being constructed and operated substantiallyas hereinabove set forth.

SAMUEL COPE. J. D. COPE. Witnesses:

J OHN D. McNEELAN, J oNAs OATTELL.

